The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-28
Hsw The December Festival is Celebrated in
the Great Metropolis.
The ExGsvsgsncs Of Christmas Suppars and
the Chs;pnsss Of Gifts.
A Scene Of Shopping, Illustrating the Sham
and Shame Of Life.
Methods of Some Insurance Companies
Exposing the Workings of the New
york Divorce mill, Etc.
Especial Sentinel letter.
New YORK, December 2.

NEW YORK, December %, 1887.
This ought to reach you Tor publication
on Christmas day, and, as you will prooa'
bly, be INDUCING, with the rest OF the eol-
tors throughout Christendom, In solemn
and mouldy chestnuts apropos to the ocoa-
sion, suppose this will be left over for
next day or cut out entirely. Yet, have
something new to cay about Christmas-at
least about Christmas in this town.
The celebration of Christmas in this most
cosmopolitan of metropolises, has cor1e to
q most insincere custom. Churches are
decked with evergreens, pulpits are
wreathed with flowers the fiocks assem- BILE
in their finest sealskins and adorned with
their newest bonnets and the shepherd
talks the most agreeable platitudes to the
occupants of broTn-stone mansions about
the babe that was born in msDger But
fhe real demonstration of the blessed day
rs in the parsonage, where the multitud-
in0us and meaningless presents are dis
played with the names of the givers care
fully attached, and here, more envy and
bitterness is engendered by the displays OF
the rival givers than all the worship and
preaching of the next year will allay. As
Women dress not to please the men, but to
spite their own sex, so givers of gifts to
pastors have no other object than to Guido
others in showing their reverence for the
pastor. There is no sincerity in 1t for him;
no reverence for the Church or its Christ.
Little, indeed, but spite and envy. l don't
presume that anybody will believe
this to be absolutely true, don't, indeed,
believe it myself but this Is precisely the
aspect which, of late years, these exhibit
ions have taken on, until one feels there
is no sinceritv and truthfulness left. FASH
ion has almost eliminated religion as q
part of the celebration of Christmas in the
large cities; now it should encourage thu
custom of giftgiving to all but the little
ones.
This particular Christmas has two very
curious features in this city-the extrava-
gance of Christmas suppers, and the extra
ordinary cheapness of all sorts of articles
suitable for Christmas gifts. 1t is what
might be called a bargain counter"
Christmas. The shop-keepers of New York
have, about once a fortnight, sale at very
reduced rates of such part OF their stock as
they find is not demanded, or of which
they have q surplus; and they advertise
largely in the Sunday papers the particu.
lar class of goods to be found at sacrihcial
rates at the bargain counter" For some
reason or other-overstocking, l guess
every big house in the city is selling Christ
mas goods at rates so low that almost any
body can afford TO give. Wholesale houses
that never before interfered with the bust
ness of the retail men, who are their Gus
TONERS, advertising that they are sell
ing at retail for the holidays only. The
consequence is that the shops are filled,
morning, noon and night, with women
and children, bent on buying to
give away cheerfuly because it is
cheap. l can imagine no other cause for
this extraordinary extravaganza, except
the desire for the display Of generosity the
majority of givers do not feel. 1t is not
all insincerity-I suppose and hope-in
TACT know it is not; but that is the
pect it takes on.
Talking of the insincerity of things leads
me to tell of scene of Christmas shop.
ping, which illustrates the sham and shame
of this habit of life we lead here. 1 was
IN SteDr's store this morning, and passing
through the throng between two rows OF
counters was attracted by two groups a.
nearly opposite counters purchasing-that
is the two women were purchasing, an
the men in each group we're paying. Bo
men were prominent, in their prime; both
grew rich through politics; both e
pointed out as models, not only in perso1
but in morals. One is the head of q mill
fary organization of fashionable renown
10 say the least; the other q leading, II not
q headlight of the peculiar clubs known
as the Nineteenth Century and the Thirteen
Clubs-the principles of the first Of which
Is not to believe anything, and of the other,
not to believe that thirteen Is an unlucky
number. The military man was q high
official in Tweed's time, and prospered
even more than Tweed did, and more SUBJ
Etantially than Tweed did. The ladies
with him were sisters. 0ne had
s 6sen enriched by the love and
other has lived in luxury for years on the
ordinary military mans wealth. Which was
mis- wife? 1T may seem strange to tell, but
neither of them. Toe ladies with the in
tellectual leading light OF the Nineteenth
century Club were mother and daughter;
M m toll 1runF oE. Il
gentleman was most polite and attentive.
he urged each to buy ad libitum, though
they needed little announcement. 1t was
70 all appearances, as If a generous ather
and husband had gone shopping with a
devoted wife and beloved child. But it
wasn't anything of the sort. The court
records in the divorce suit, and more than
One police inspector, can tell that the real
wife and daughter persisted by fire in a fl at
1he intellectual headlight had long before
deserted for the constant society of both
mother and daughter: And can such
things be? And at Christmas time too?
Well, yes, in the Metropolis.
A case recently tried in Baltimore, If
1he details which the record there shows
should be worked up, would have a very
great interest tor that large and enterpris-
ing class known as insurance agents. 1t
dlscloses the methods employed by some
insurance companies, but. let Us hope, not
by all. The case was entitled,
"Tbe Fidelity aud Casualty Company Of
New York VS.. Anthony NJ. Nealen It was
4ried in the Superior Court of Baltimore,
before Judge Phelps. Mr.. Neale was for
nearly year the agent of the company,
and when another agent was appointed
Neale owed balance to the Fidelity and
Casualty Company, against which he put a
counter claim of $3.50, for money paid to
one Of the officers Of the company to secure
fhe appointment as agent. The trial of
che cause lasted two days and resulted in
verdict for Neale, and the company must
refund the bride paid to one of its officers.
How far does this Or actice extend2 1
never heard Of but one case before, and
fhas was IN the case of a company which
disreputably died short time ago IN Con-
necticut. The Fidelity and Casualty Com.
pany is peculiar institution OF this city,
having the only charter ever granted by
this State empowering q company to do
four kinds of insurance business. 1t in
Eures the honesty Of your employees; pro-
<ects your plate-glass from damage
secures you from loss by fire, and promises
10 pay your heirs In the event of your
death by accident. It is the same
company which was restrained from